With one of the industry’s most iconic events behind us and a number of C-level shuffles at some of the largest firms, the week had much to offer in fresh developments.
To begin with, MIXI Australia and PointsBet have confirmed that the former has secured a 66.43% stake in the company, following months of intense debate and rival bids by Betr, which repeatedly attempted to outbid the Japanese firm.
In the end, MIXI Australia has achieved what it had hoped to do as early as February this year, securing a controlling stake in PointsBet.
In another major move this week, theSocial and Promotional Gaming Association(SPGA) and theSocial Gaming Leadership Alliance(SGLA) confirmed they had merged efforts after the two bodies identified further areas for collaboration under a single partnership.
The SGLA has absorbed the SPGA under its umbrella, arguing that they would have a better argument against the wave of anti-sweepstakes legislation that has washed over the United States if they worked together as a single entity.
The reason for this merger is attributed to the advancement of a draft bill out of legislation in California and onto the governor’s desk. If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill, California would become the latest state to outright ban sweepstakes social casinos.
Business and finance
In other news, RubyPlayhas strengthened its C-suite with the appointment ofTsachi Maimon, who is stepping in as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Maimon is a seasoned industry veteran who has more than20 years of experienceand will now apply his knowledge and hard skills to tangible results for the company.
Ezugi, another iGaming supplier, has also appointed a new person at the helm, bringing in Gilad Ben-Ami, the company’s COO since 2017, as its new boss. Ben-Ami announced the important change in a LinkedIn post and spoke highly of the opportunity to assume the new position.
Originally, he was tasked with growing the company’s footprint inRomania, but over the years, he began transferring his experience to other company operations and secured a forward position for the operator in other markets.
Gaming Arts and Evolution have announced a groundbreaking partnership which will see the latter supplier’s iconic online slots adapted for the land-based sector.
The adaptation will be carried out through Bluhare Studios, a Gaming Arts development arm, which will bring blockbuster games such as Starburst to the latter’s MOD EX J55, MOD EX 227, andMOD EX 337 gaming cabinets.
This is an important move forward that will allow both companies to gain even further traction within the land-based vertical offering
Laws and regulations
The Netherlands Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit(KSA), announced the release ofnew guidance in an effort to improve the duty of care for land-based gaming halls.
The new guidance follows an analysis of the existing duty of care and on-site visits to gaming arcades across the country.
The visits conducted by the Dutch gambling watchdog enabled it to get a better picture of theimplementation of the existing duty of care guidanceandcompile a list of recommendations for improvement.
The German Sports Betting Association(DSWV) has sounded a new alarm over the proliferation of illegal gambling in Germany. The association argued that for every legal gambling website, there were 12 illegal ones.
The association called for further measures against the sector and for a unified response from the regulator, operators, and even players. The DSWV insisted that all stakeholders, including players, benefited from identifying and avoiding such gambling websites.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the SGLA has urged California Gov. Gavin Newsom not to sign a bill into law that would see sweepstakes social casinos outlawed. The bill would make California one of a handful of states that outright prohibit sweepstakes, emboldening further similar moves elsewhere.
Massachusetts’ Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Kalshi, alleging that the platform is offering illegal forms of gambling without the necessary license. Kalshi, for its part, has responded by arguing that the platform was regulated under federal laws and the CFTC and was not subject to state betting regulation.
Responsible gambling
The National Gambling Helpline, providing free support to people affected by gambling harm in Great Britain, GamCare, highlights the importance and effectiveness of its Money Guidance Service.
A newly released evaluation of the service acknowledged the positive change it is bringing, helping support individuals affected by gambling-related financial harm.
The voice of the industry
This week, Casino Guru News focused on SBC Summit, with the event proving a success beyond its creators’ expectations. In a conference recapping the numbers on Day 3, Andrew McCarron, SBC Managing Director, and Denis Algreen, Marketing Director, have wrapped up a review of the event in numbers, comparing attendance and other key metrics with last year’s edition. You can find the full breakdown available here.
Another point of interest was the press conference by iGP. iGP CEOJovana Popovic Canakiand Chief Marketing OfficerMichael Baker-Mosleysat down to discuss the company’s recent string of successes in the context of the rapid and dynamic changes the industry is experiencing, spurred by both technological and consumer trends. You can find out more about this here.
In the meantime, Clarion Gaming provided the economic impact data for its flagship events, ICE and iGB Affiliate 2025, arguing that the events had generated €191m in value for the economies in Barcelona and Catalonia. More on this here.
